Winchester Model 1873 Sporting Rifle with Cody Firearms Museum Records Office Letter. The letter identifies Model 1873, serial number 71087, as a rifle with octagon barrel and plain trigger and states that it was shipped from Winchester on July 13, 1881. The rifle has the Second Model receiver with screw-fastened dust cover rail and dust cover with serrated edges. The 24-inch octagon barrel has a standard sporting style front sight with nickel-silver blade and a buckhorn, sporting style rear sight with knurled edges. The upper tang is factory drilled and tapped. The crescent buttplate has sliding brass trapdoor. Non-factory sling swivels have been added at a later date to the forearm cap and stock. The barrel, magazine, forearm cap and dust cover are blued. The loading gate has a fire blue finish. The hammer, trigger, lever and crescent buttplate are color casehardened. The stock and forearm are straight grain American walnut with a varnish finish. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped with the two-line legend: "WINCHESTER'S-REPEATING-ARMS-CO. NEW HAVEN. CT./KING'S- IMPROVEMENT-PATENTED-MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860." ahead of the rear sight. "MODEL 1873" is roll-stamped in fancy letters on the upper receiver tang. The serial number "74087" is stamped in script numerals on the lower tang between the lever latch and the rear tang screw. The barrel and cartridge elevator correctly lack caliber markings.

Exceptionally fine. 75% of the original blue finish is present on the barrel, magazine and forearm cap. There is some limited finish loss on the muzzle and barrel edges and some thinning on the top of the barrel between the rear sight and the receiver. The barrel legend is sharp. The receiver and dust cover have 85% of the bright original high polish blue intact with some finish wear on the edges and some scattered light scratches and handling marks. There are several tiny, shallow dents in the left side of the receiver ahead of the side plate. The loading gate retains nearly 75% of the fire blue finish. The hammer, lever and trigger have close to 95% of the muted case colors intact. The buttplate retains about 80% of the casehardened finish with scattered patches of age discoloration. The stock and forearm both are in fine condition; wear is limited to a few minor handling and storage marks. There is an added coat of varnish visible on the buttstock. This is an attractive example of an early production Second Model Winchester 1873 Lever Action Rifle.